‘Miracle’ hamster on the mend after vital surgery

A DWARF hamster that had a tumour a quarter of her size has been described as a “miracle” after making a full recovery.

A vet had said that Hammy — owned by nine-year-old Adam Bell from Broughty Ferry — had little chance of surviving the massive tumour in her body and would need to be put to sleep.

But the family insisted on surgery — and she is now on the mend.

Adam’s step-mum Valerie Duguid today told the Tele that they had only realised there was something wrong with Hammy when they noticed a berry-like growth on her leg.

Valerie said she tried to pull it off and “blood began to spray everywhere”.

The 46-year-old clinical exercise specialist said: “We ran out of the house, jumped in the car and headed straight to the vet.

“We thought Hammy would die because of the amount of blood she was losing.

“She saw a nurse straight away and a few minutes later, a vet came out and said she had a massive tumour that she couldn’t live with.

“They said they would make her comfortable and put her to sleep but we insisted on giving her a chance with the surgery.

“I know that some people won’t understand but Hammy is a really fit hamster.

“She does loads of pull-ups on her bars and she has a huge space rather than a small cage.

“When we got to the vet at 9pm, she had come round from the surgery and was even trying to put weight on her leg.

“It was amazing — the vet said she was a wee miracle.”

Fraser Lawson, veterinary surgeon at Wallace Vets, said: “She really does seem to have defied the odds.

“The tumour she came in with was probably between a quarter and a third of her size and it was bleeding badly.

“It was touch and go — even with the surgery.

“She was very small to operate on, weighing only 20-30 grams.

“It is difficult to put any hamster, even healthy ones, under anaesthetic because of their size and because they get cold very quickly.

“It was even harder with Hammy because she had lost so much blood.”

Despite the successful surgery, Hammy wasn’t out of the woods.

Valerie said that following the operation on January 20, she stayed up all night, heating up cotton wool pads in the microwave to keep Hammy warm.

But she said Hammy was now almost back to her normal self.

Valerie and Adam with “miracle” pet Hammy who survived an operation to remove a massive tumour.